Tag Archives: Para-Dressage

Great Britain and Germany Share the Gold Medals in Para Dressage Freestyle at WEG

October 10, 2010 – Lexington, KY – Riders from Great Britain and Germany dominated the freestyle in all five grades of the Para Dressage World Championships at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.  Today’s competition decided the grade IV champion, and it was Great Britain’s Sophie Wells on Pinocchio (78.50%).

Gold-medal winners over the last few days include Germany’s Hannelore Brenner on Women Of The World (79.20%) in grade III, Germany’s Dr. Angelika Trabert on Ariva-Avanti (75.90%) in grade II, Great Britain’s Lee Pearson on Gentleman (82.50%) in grade Ib, and Great Britain’s Emma Sheardown on Purdy’s Dream (78.55%) in grade Ia.

“He was a little bit more energetic than normal, so I decided not to go in with a whip, and that was very abnormal, so I was taking a risk from the beginning, really,” said Wells.  “When I picked up the walk he came against me and he stopped and then I thought ‘Oh my gosh I need to find somewhere else in my plan where I can put in another simple change’.  So all the time when I was going through my next movements I was trying to think where I could put it in.” Pearson created his top-scoring freestyle just for this competition.

Continue reading Great Britain and Germany Share the Gold Medals in Para Dressage Freestyle at WEG

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 16 Para Dressage Championships

On the Para Dressage podium on the final day of the WEG - the medallists from the Freestyle Grade 4 Championship - (left to right) Michele George BEL (silver), (centre) Sophie Wells GBR (gold) and (right) Frank Hosmar NED (bronze).

WELLS’ VICTORY TAKES BRITAIN TO TOP OF THE MEDAL TABLE by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 10 October – Para Dressage rider Sophie Wells claimed Grade 4 Freestyle gold to put Great Britain at the top of the medal table as the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games came to a close at the Horse Park in Kentucky, USA today having attracted a massive attendance of over 500,000 spectators to the 16-day extravaganza. The British Para squad have been in fantastic form, scooping six individuals gold medals along with the team title.  And Wells steered her 13 year old gelding Pinocchio to victory today despite a glitch in her test.

Belgium’s Michele George took silver with FBW Rainman ahead of The Netherlands’ Frank Hosmar and Tiesto in bronze.

STOPPED
Wells’ test began well.  “I was quite happy with my trot but then when I picked up the walk he came against me and my first movement was a compulsory, which was a simple change, and he stopped!” she explained.  Now she had to make a quick decision.  “I knew I had to find somewhere else in my plan where I could put in another simple change, so all the time I was going through my next movements I was trying to think where I could put it in, and I didn’t want to mess up my floor plan because it’s good and they give you marks for that as well – times three,” she explained.

Continue reading Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 16 Para Dressage Championships

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 15 Para Dressage Championships

Angelika Trabert and Ariva-Avanti from Germany took Freestyle Grade 2 gold in the Para Dressage Championship at the WEG today. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

PEARSON TAKES FREESTYLE GRADE 1B GOLD YET AGAIN, TRABERT CLAIMS GRADE 2 FREESTYLE TITLE  by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 9 October – Great Britain’s Lee Pearson took the Para Dressage Grade 1b Freestyle Championship by storm at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today.  And in Grade 2 it was Germany’s Angelika Trabert who swept to victory with a great ride on her bay mare Ariva-Avanti.

Pearson’s World Championship record is legendary.  He was a double gold medallist in Denmark in 1999, took Team and Individual gold in Moorsele, Belgium in 2003 and team and two individual titles on his home turf in Hartpury, Great Britain in 2007.  This week he has excelled once again with a hat-trick of gold medals, but another new star has also been born.

Continue reading Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 15 Para Dressage Championships

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 14 Para Dressage Championships

Great Britain's Emma Sheardown overcame a major setback to put in a personal best performance and claim Freestyle gold in Para Dressage Grade 1a at the WEG today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

SHEER GRIT EARNS GOLD FOR SHEARDOWN, BRENNER MAKES IT A DOUBLE by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 8 October – British Para-Dressage star Anne Dunham said on Thursday night, “don’t say I can’t – say I can.  It may be slow and it may be hard, but it’s always worth it in the end.”  Those words rang true this afternoon when, against all the odds, her team-mate Emma Sheardown overcame a nasty accident the previous evening to come out and produce the best performance of her life and clinch the Individual Grade 1a Freestyle title at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA.

Once again the British had it all their own way in Grade 1a, but the placings were re-jigged.  Yesterday’s Individual champion Sophie Christiansen had to settle for silver this time around while Dunham took bronze.

Continue reading Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 14 Para Dressage Championships

2010 Radio Show Episode 122 by SUCCEED – Para, Driving and Vaulting. Whew, What a Day


Daily radio coverage of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games continues with a wrap up of the day’s events. We recap the Jumping Team Finals, Para Dressage Individual Championship Tests, Combined Driving Dressage and Vaulting Individual Freestyle today as we record at the International Equestrian Festival in front of a live audience. Listen in.

2010 Radio Show Episode 122 by SUCCEED – Show Notes and Links:

  • Hosts: Samantha Clark and Glenn the Geek
  • Location: The International Equestrian Festival in downtown Lexington.
    Recording at 7:00 PM every night. Stop down and join us.
  • Guest: John Freiburger
  • Guest: Gavin Robson
  • Guest: Doug Orr
  • Coverage: Follow all the coverage of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games on the Horse Radio Network.

_________________________________________
Listen Now, Download or Subscribe:

Listen Now
Subscribe Zune

Britain Leads Medal Hunt Halfway through Para Dressage World Championships

October 5, 2010 – Lexington, KY – Great Britain, the team expected to win the gold medal at the Para Dressage World Championships, has taken the lead halfway through the team competition. Germany stands second, with the Netherlands third and Denmark fourth.

The 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games mark the first time that para dressage has been part of the World Games.

“[The British team hasn’t] lost a gold medal at a major championship since the sport started, so there is a lot pressure,” said Sophie Christiansen of the British team, whose score of 69.41 percent in grade Ia team test on Rivaldo Of Berkeley aided the British effort. “I went to [the 2004 Athens Paralympics] at 16, so I know how to deal with the pressure. We have so much support, and that gives us Brits the upper hand.”

Continue reading Britain Leads Medal Hunt Halfway through Para Dressage World Championships

Great Britain Is Golden in Para Dressage World Championships at Alltech FEI WEG

October 7, 2010 – Lexington, KY – Great Britain continued its historical domination of the Para Dressage World Championships by taking the team gold, and sweeping all three individual medals in the Grade Ia division, as well as the individual gold and silver in grade Ib. These medals follow yesterday’s gold-medal performance by Sophie Wells, bringing to seven the total British medal count in para dressage at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Leading the British charge was Sophie Christiansen, 22, who took individual gold in the grade Ia test with a score of 76.100 percent and provided a crucial score for her team. Christiansen was overcome when her score was announced.

“My trainer decided I should ride for longer today. I normally ride for 15 minutes, and today I rode for 30 minutes,” she said. “I’m so happy with him because he just took care of me. That score is the highest I’ve ever gotten in the individual test. The feeling afterward is so wonderful. I was so nervous this morning!”

Continue reading Great Britain Is Golden in Para Dressage World Championships at Alltech FEI WEG

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 13 Para Dressage Championships

The British team of Sophie Christiansen, Lee Pearson, Anne Dunham and Jo Pitt claimed team gold in the Para Dressage Championship at the WEG today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton

UNBEATABLE BRITS TAKE TEAM GOLD ONCE AGAIN AS CHRISTIANSEN, VAN DE SANDE AND PEARSON CLAIM INDIVIDUAL TITLES by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 7 October – The British were in stunning form in the Para Dressage Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA, when winning the team title, taking a clean sweep of the medals in the Grade 1a Individual, and gold and silver in Grade 1b.  It was The Netherlands Petra Van de Sande who put a stop to their gallop when winning Grade 2 ahead of Germany’s Britta Napel, while Denmark’s Caroline Cecilie Nielsen took bronze.

Britain’s Para Dressage record is outstanding – they have never been beaten in the battle for the World title since taking team gold on their home turf in Hartpury in 1991.  But their shining star, the formidable Lee Pearson who predictably also took the Grade 1b gold in convincing fashion today, said tonight that the standard of the sport is improving rapidly and that he and his team-mates no longer have the advantage they have grown accustomed to – the margins are getting tighter all the time.

Continue reading Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 13 Para Dressage Championships

2010 Radio Show Episode 121 by SUCCEED – Vaulting, Para, Driving and Glenn’s Quest

Today we covered Para, the start of vaulting with an early lead by the USA and driving starts tomorrow. Plus, Glenn went on a quest to find adventure at the horse park! Listen in to what happened with that….

2010 Radio Show Episode 121 by SUCCEED – Show Notes and Links:

  • Hosts: Samantha Clark and Glenn the Geek
  • Location: The International Equestrian Festival in downtown Lexington.
    Recording at 7:00 PM every night. Stop down and join us.
  • Guest: Kegan Smith, South African Vaulter
  • Guest: Georgina Bloomberg – ASPCA Exhibit
  • Guest: John Nicholson, Director of Kentucky Horse Park
  • Guest: Great Britain – Vaulting Team
  • See all of the videos and pics from today on Facebook.
  • Coverage: Follow all the coverage of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games on the Horse Radio Network.

_________________________________________

Listen Now, Download or Subscribe:

Listen Now
Subscribe Zune

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 12 Para Dressage Championship

Hannelore Brenner and Women of the World claimed individual gold in Grade 3 of the Para Dressage Championship at the WEG today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

INDIVIDUAL GOLD FOR WELLS AND BRENNER by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 6 October – Great Britain’s Sophie Wells and Germany’s Hannelore Brenner claimed the first individual gold medals in the Para Dressage Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today.

Wells, who is also highly-competitive in able-bodied sport and who competed on the fifth-placed British team at the European Young Riders Championship at Kronberg in Germany this summer, scooped the Grade 4 title.  She produced a forward, flowing test with no mistakes from her chestnut gelding Pinocchio to score 71.677 which left her just over 1.5 points ahead of silver medallist Frank Hosmar from Germany while Denmark’s Henrik Weber Sibbesen claimed bronze.

Continue reading Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 12 Para Dressage Championship